Water-circulating system for concrete mixers and engines



may 1%, 192% Q. T. GRAHAM WATER CIRCULATING SYSTEM FOR CONCRETE MIXERS AND ENGINES Filed June 14,, 1924 PATENT OFFICE.

OTA T. GRAHAM, 01E RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

WATER-CIRCULATING SYSTEM FOR CONCRETE MIXERS AND ENGINES.

Application filed June 14, 1924. Serial No. 720,144.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTA T. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of l-lenrico and Stateof Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Water- Circulating Systems for Concrete Mixers and Engines, of which the following is a specification.

j The present invention relates to an improved water circulating system for concretemixers and their engines and has for its object to maintain a constant supply of cold water in the water jacket of the engine. As this'could not be done 'without draining oft a corresponding amount of hot water from the engine jacket, this hot water is utilized, in the present device, for mixing the concrete. For this purpose, the hot water is conducted to the supply tank, generally furnished on mixers of this class,

from which a conduit leads to tliemixing drum, the supply of hot water being regulated by a suitable valve.

Several important advantages are gained by this arrangement, namely:

Theengine is cooled to an even temper: ture, no matter at what speed it is running,

tor the reason that the water consumption in the mixer increases in accordance with its speed, the water supply to the engine increasing at the same ratio. This has as a consequence that the engine will not be over heated and" need not'be stopped for the change of water, and no water :will be wasted.

This arrangement makes the process of concrete mixing more economical than usual. The use of hot instead of cold water in the mixer will facilitate the production, particularly in cold weather, when the ingredients will be heated and snow and ice melted before the actual mixing takes place. 5

Thei device may be installed very easily not only on new mixers but also on those mixer with the water system installed.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1.0 represents a concrete mi'xer of any known ternal combustion engine 12.

Instead of radiators generally used for such engines, a water jacket 13 is here provided having a valved water inlet as at 14-. A hose15 connects this inlet with a cold water source and a cock 26 regulates the amount of water passing the inlet 14.

Above the mixing drum 11 is mounted on the mixer a tank 16 held in position by metal straps 17. This is the type of tank which is usually furnished onthe mixers and it has a check valve 18 at the top for admitting or discharging air when the tank is being drained or filled. A pipe line 19 connects the bottom of the tank with one end of the mixing drum in the usual manner and this pipe line is provided with a "double-acting regulating valve 20' which has a long spindle 21 carrying a hand wheel 22 at its free end in a suitable position to be reached by the operator.

Ordinarily, in mixers of known type, a hose is used for filling the tank. In the present water circulating system, such a hose is dispensed with and instead, a conduit 23 .connec-ts the water jacket 13 of the engine with the tank 16 through the valve 20. The conduit 23 is preferably secured to a removable plate 24 bolted to the top of the water jacket 13. For mixers of more than seven cubic feet capacity, the plate 24 need not be removable. The plate is provided with a filling plug 25 forpouring in hot water to facilitate the starting of the engine in cold weather.

Assuming that the jacket 13 contains no water, nor the tank 16, communication with the cold water supply will be had through the hose 15, the valve 20 being opened. The water jacket and the tank will then soon be filled and the engine started. As soon as the water has been warmed to a certain temperature, the mixing .drum llmay be set in motion andthe valve 20 set to close the intake from pipe 23 and to open communication between the tank 16 and the mixer 11. A certain quantity of warm water will then be drained from the tank 16 into the drum. As

water flows into the mixing drum intermittently, the level in the tank 16 will be constantly rising and falling, and warm water tank 16 after resetting the valve 20 as from type having a mixing drum 11 and an inthe start.

When the mixer and engine stop running,

the valve may be closed to retain hot as regulated by said valve.

water in the tank 16. r

This water jacket cooling system may also be used when the mixers are not equipped with measuring tanks 16 as water supplied tothe jacket 13 by the hose 15 'may be drained through the pipe into a barrel for supplying the mixing drum 11 with hot water. The supply may then be regulated by the cook 26 instead of by the valve 20.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: w

1. The combination with a concrete mixer having an engine for operating the same; of a water circulating system comprising a water jacket for the engine, a suitable connection from a source of cold water supply to said water jacket, means for conductmg heated water from said water jacket to the concrete mixer and means for controlling the flow of heated water to the mixer.

2. The combination with a concrete mixer having an engine for operating the same;

of a water circulating system comprising a water jacket for the engine, asuitable connection from a source of cold water su ply to said Water jacket, and means for con ucting heated water from said water jacket to the concrete mixer, said means including a conduit between said water jacket and the concrete mixer and a valve in said conduit for controlling the flow of heated water to the mixer.-

3. The combination with a concrete mixer having an engine for operating the same; of a water circulating system cimprising a water jacket for the engine, a suitable connection from a source of cold water supply to said water jacket, and means for conducting heated water from said water jacket to the concrete mixer, said means including a conduit between said water jacket and the concrete mixer, a valve in said conduit, and

a tank inserted between said water jacket and said mixer, whereby a constant supply of cold water will be furnished to said water jacket and water heated therein conducted through said conduit and tank to the mixer means for controlling the flow of heated water from the conduit to the supply tank and from the supply tank to the mixer.

5. The combination with a concrete mixer having an engine for operating the same; of a water circulating system comprising a Water jacket for the engine, a water supply tank, means for supplying water to the water jacket, a conduit forming a source of communication between the Water jacket and the supply tank, a branch pipe communicating wit the conduit and said supply tank and discharging into the mixer, and a valve disposed at thejunction of the conduit and branch pipe for controlling the flow of heated water through the conduit to the supply tankand from the supply tank through the branch pipe to the mixer.

6. The combination with a'concrete mixer having an engine for operating the same; of

and extending laterally to one side of the mixer whereby the flow of heated water through the conduit to the tank and from the tank through the branch pipe to the mixer ma be controlled.

n testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

OTA T. GRAHAM. 1 8.] 

